As a caregiver, it is your responsibility to administer prescribed medications. This is a great responsibility. In fact, as a charge nurse in long term care, the majority of my time was spent administering various medications and recording their effects. All of my patients took at least several oral medications. Many took ten or more. There were also insulin (and occasionally other) injections, eye drops, nose sprays, inhalers, and topical ointments and creams. You can see – with an average of 30 patients – why this took so much time. Anytime a new medication was initiated, it was important to monitor the patient for possible side effects.

You have probably seen advertisements on television for various drugs in which the list of potential side effects is rapidly recited and the cure seems much worse than the sickness. Just listening makes me resistant to taking any medications. On the other hand, what a blessing it is in America in modern times to have drugs that are truly life-saving.

In poverty-stricken countries, at least a million people still die annually from easily curable sicknesses such as diarrhea.

I think we can all agree that generally the positives of medications outweigh the negatives, especially when they are prescribed and administered with caution and care. Still, Hippocrates (c. 450 BC) had a point when he advised, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” In some situations, it is appropriate to consider curative treatments other than drugs. For example, a few mornings ago I woke up with thick mucous clogging my airways. I decided to Google “thick mucous.” Several sources identified the cause as dry air (as a result of electric heat) and suggested running a humidifier. Because Randy loves me to send him on Saturday morning errands (so he can stop by Chick-fil-a), I asked him to bring home a simple humidifier. Since he is smitten with gadgets of all sorts, he sweetly obliged me. The results were almost immediate as my nasal passaged began to clear – with no side effects.

When home remedies do not produce the desired result and we turn to the doctor who prescribes a new drug (this is assuming you are already familiar with the ones currently being taken), be prepared to ask questions. Why is it being prescribed? What therapeutic results should be expected and when? What are common side effects? You may also want to ask the price tier of the drug. If it is out of your league, request an alternative. SO not hesitate to express any concerns you may have. It is also important to read the package inserts or printed materials pharmacies provide when dispensing prescriptions. Your pharmacist is also an excellent resource. Most medications can be easily probed online as well.

Side effects are defined as: undesirable secondary effects that may occur along with the desired effect. Some of these unwanted actions are minor and rather common, such as nausea or an upset stomach. Occasionally, an allergic reaction occurs and though not usual, can be life-threatening. Always inform your recipient’s doctor of any known drug allergies and observe closely when administering a new medication. Certain drugs can also interact with other drugs or alcoholic beverages. Drugs affect people differently and variables include general health, age, weight, gender and even ethnicity. Unwanted effects usually develop at the beginning of a drug regimen, when the dosage is changed or when ending the treatment. (The worst side effects I ever experienced occurred when I began tapering the pain medication after my knee replacement – the nausea, shaking and hallucinations were so bad I thought I was dying, but I admit to being a pitiful-patient).  

Reading a list of side effects for some drugs – or hearing the myriad of possibilities rattled off at the end of an advertisement such as serious infections, cancer or even fatal bleeding – can be daunting. An advertisement for a new injectable drug intended to dissolve a double chin falls into that category. As the narrator articulated the possible side effects – including high blood pressure, slow or fast heartbeat, difficulty swallowing, facial muscle weakness, pounding in the ears and an uneven smile – I considered that compared to those, a double chin seemed desirable. 

Of course, most medications are prescribed for maladies more serious than a cosmetic feature and therefore the consequences of whether or not to take them is greater. A key word to consider as you compare the desirable results against the possible side effects is “possible.” When new drug applications are submitted to the FDA for approval before they can be marketed, the main concern is that there is clinical evidence that the drug has the therapeutic result it claims and that it is safe. Final approval is then granted on the basis “the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks.” Much research and many studies must take place on each drug before it is approved. The FDA requires that all possible or reasonably likely side effects be reported. Often, when side effects are listed, the rate of incidence will also be shown and sometimes it is almost negligible. 

Still, those possibilities can strike fear in the heart of a caregiver who is administering the drug. Discussing these concerns with the health care provider or pharmacist before you begin the new regimen should help to ease your concerns.